Techstanding 2 for EPSY 457

The Scenario

“Your school has just been notified that you have $150,000 to spend on creating a classroom of tomorrow in which teachers in your school will rotate through this space so that everyone has the opportunity to experience teaching in this environment. You are the lead educator responsible for creating the "blueprint" of what this classroom would look like and how you would spend the money. The money may be used for equipment, professional development, furniture -- anything that you believe will make this the best learning environment for your students. Your learning space has to reflect both high and low end technological resources, keeping in mind that the teachers who rotate through this space will need to be able to replicate some of what they do in this learning space into their own classroom.”

The Instructional Challenge
"Your instructional challenge is to draft a plan in which you describe what this environment will look like, how you would spend the money, and how you will create a space that includes both high and low end technological solutions, keeping in mind that this classroom will be a model for other learning spaces in which the school may not have the money or resources to go completely high end. Your solution must have a research foundation, must include models of practice, and must demonstrate how these models could be modified for use in your own learning environment.”

The Solutions

I think that there are a few ways to approach this instructional challenge. The first approach I’ll describe is where I create one awesome classroom with an amazing learning environment as described in “The Scenario.” In this method, there is one classroom that is a model for all other classrooms using high-end materials and technology.  The next way I’ll describe is one in which the grant money can be applied to benefit all students in the school rather than to be used in only one classroom that only some students will rotate in and out of. The second method uses lower-end technology and can be used in all classrooms of the school.

Design 1- One really awesome STEM laboratory

The first way that I could use the $150,000 is to create one awesome Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) laboratory in my school. STEM education has become an area of focus in American education because of President Obama’s Educate to Innovate campaign. (National Educational Technology Plan, p. 22) A state-of-the-art STEM laboratory provides students with an environment that promotes creativity and innovation. Students that have the opportunity to take part in original research and classroom experiments generally gain a deeper understanding of the scientific process; “Involvement in scientific inquiry can range from relatively brief classroom activities to lengthy projects in research laboratories. It is generally believed that the more authentic the research experience, such as an apprenticeship guided by a science professional, the more likely students will learn about aspects of scientific inquiry” (Bell, Blair, Crawford, & Lederman, 2003) Even more important to learning is that teachers from different departments could collaborate in this STEM laboratory to create cross-curricular projects that show students the relationships between biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and mathematics.

With the grant money, my STEM laboratory would have ample technology for students and teachers to work with. Examples include laptop computers at every lab station, an interactive whiteboard, document camera, high-speed digital camera, and computer-based laboratory software, probeware, and instruments. According to the National Educational Technology Plan, “technology can be used to support student interaction with STEM content in ways that promote deeper understanding of complex ideas, engage students in solving complex problems, and create new opportunities for STEM learning at all levels of our education system.” (National Educational Technology Plan, p. 22)

In theory, I could also design the laboratory room itself to be useful in student learning. Students can actually study energy, power, and many other science phenomena if the lab space is designed correctly:

“Exposed HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems allow students to observe the electrical and mechanical workings of a complex system. Skylights or multiple windows allow students to observe weather patterns and the movement of the sun. Read-only displays of key school data, such as temperature and energy use, can transform the physical classroom into a teaching tool. In general, the science classroom should be an intellectually stimulating environment.” (Butin, 2000)

In addition to the exposed design, the labs could also include windows to the outside to bring in the outdoors. Traditionally science laboratories do not have windows but that would be a bonus for a secondary education classroom and be helpful for biology and ecology classes. Along with the exposed systems and windows in the STEM lab, the space could include two separate spaces in one room: a learning section and a laboratory section. In the learning area, students can collaborate on projects or learn the background information before they begin their independent studies in the laboratory. The dual spaces provides an environment for the teacher to differentiate instruction and break students into collaborative groups to work on various assignments and projects. 

In  practice, a STEM lab that incorporates all of the ideas that I have described above can be found at the Niles School District in Illinois. At Niles North and Niles West, they renovated a classroom at each school to have an awesome STEM laboratory. Below is a floor plan of their space (LegatArchitects, 2010). They did not add on to the schools- they redesigned the space to create a better environment for the students. 

 At Niles, they created the two spaces as I described, one for instruction and another for activity. They call the instructional area  “The Think Tank” and it “encourages students to think out loud and supports global conferencing. It offers full AV input and output, a plasma TV, projectors/screens, and interactive white boards.” (LegatArchitects, 2010) They second space they created is for laboratory activities and original research.  Below is a description of their laboratory area.

“Movable tables and individual work carts that roll under counters give students the flexibility to conduct many experiments. Computer storage with internal charging stations allows students to use their laptops for research or interface with lab equipment (e.g., bomb calorimeter, shaking tables, spectrophotometer). An overhead gridding system and large tabletops allow for optimal connections to equipment, while speakers and microphones transmit throughout the lab.” (LegatArchitects, 2010)

Here are some photos of the STEM labs at Niles North and Niles West. 

 

For the students, these laboratories provide an area that they can be creative, inquisitive, and innovative. They can learn background information and review concepts with the computer, interactive whiteboard, student response system, and collaborative setup of “The Think Tank.” Then, they can apply ideas and actively discover new principles in the highly technological laboratory. 

For teachers, this STEM lab provides the space and tools to engage learners and differentiate instruction for every learner. Teachers can collaborate within departments and work together on cross-curricular projects to intertwine several disciplines. 

For administrators and the community, the true benefit for creating an awesome STEM laboratory comes from knowing that they are doing the best they can to make their students scientifically literate and preparing them for college. There are also major bragging rights for having something that very, very few high schools in the United States have. :)

 

Design 2- Technology for all students to learn

Given $150,000, I could institute a lot of change at my school! In my second design, I’m going to show how we could bring technology to EVERY student at my school in most class periods using the resources already available in my school and some tools that cost much less than an entire STEM laboratory. I realize that the assignment is to create one classroom, but I am too concerned with equity in education and I would rather see ALL students benefit from the money than some students gain a lot while others see no change. It’s not fair to rotate kids into and out of the classroom- all students should benefit. 

In theory, I could use the grant money to purchase interactive whiteboards, student response systems, and learning software that would benefit all students, every day. Interactive whiteboards help students learn more efficiently because they present information, “in sharp colors, and to annotate, conceal, manipulate, move and zoom in on or focus on images, including text, is also said to enhance the learning process” (Smith, Higgins, Wall, & Miller, 2005)

Furthermore, interactive whiteboards and student response systems motivate students to learn and that they generally enjoy working with them. Researchers have found that students become more motivated through the use of interactive whiteboards: “pupils’ zest for learning was enhanced by the element of surprise that IWBs and accompanying software can bring to lessons.” (Smith, Higgins, Wall, & Miller, 2005) Researches have also studied how students react to interactive whiteboards and what their general views are of them. They found that by far, most students have beneficial views of IWs (Wall, Higgins, & Smith, 2005). The number one reason that students like the IWs is that they are motivational: “Motivation was indicated as a key factor impacting upon the pupils’ metacognitive process (89% of comments were written in the thought rather than the speech bubble). Within this category, pupils mentioned motivation from a desire to actually use the board themselves.” (Wall, Higgins, & Smith, 2005)

The video below demonstrates the power of student response systems. (SmartClassrooms, 2010) The response systems keep students focused, provide instant feedback to learners, and give valuable data to teachers throughout each lesson that guide lesson pace and re-teaching. 

 

In practice, I could bring IWs to all students in my school. In my school, we already have computers, projectors, and document cameras in each classroom. We have laptop carts, 4 computer labs, and 1 computer for every 2 students in the science classrooms. We also have the latest Vernier/ Logger Pro & Pasco/Data Studio software and probeware for our science classrooms. Although we don’t have a fancy STEM laboratory, we can use the money to bring in IW technology that will help all students learn. 

Using the technology that we have in my learning environment, we could bring in 20 sets of portable interactive whiteboards (on mobile stands), 20 sets of student response systems, and 20 licenses for the SMART learning software. All of the prices of the SMART technologies are from United Visual, a distributor of AV equipment. (SMART Technologies Corporation MSRP Price List, 2012)

I chose to allocate 3 sets of portable IW systems for all core classes as well as Special ED/ELL. Next, give 2 sets for foreign language (not a requirement for graduation but a common requirement for post-secondary education). Finally, have 1 set for all of the electives. With 20 total sets, there is over $20,000 remaining for professional development for teachers and IT staff.

For students, this means that most periods of every school day they will be actively participating in the lessons with student response clickers and an interactive whiteboard. They will constantly be gaining informal feedback on their understanding of the curriculum and the ability to see progress throughout each lesson. All students will be more motivated and engaged at my school because of the grant. 

For teachers, this grant means that they will have more technology and professional development to intrigue and engage Generation Z learners. They will also have the interactive learning software that provides lesson plans and ideas. It will be more work in the beginning for them because it is new equipment and technology, but I imagine given good professional development for both the teachers and IT staff that the transition would be smooth. The student response system will give teachers the ability to formatively assess students in the middle of a lesson to determine if re-teaching is necessary or if students are ready to move on. This can be a wonderful tool and with the grant, it  can be available for all teachers. 

For administrators, the Smart Board set insures that teachers are making data-based decisions and are current in modern technology. They can collect data during their administrative walk-throughs and attend the professional development to help teachers determine the best ways to use the technology in their content area. 

The scenario is that I’ve been awarded $150,000 to use at my discretion. There are two ways to go about solving this problem; one way serves only some students in an elite classroom and the other way to serve all students most school days. While I think that it is a nice idea to have one awesome classroom, my personal preference is to help ALL students learn. 

National Educational Technology Plan 2010. (2010). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010.pdf

SMART Technologies Corporation MSRP Price List. (2012, February 1). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from United Visual: http://www.unitedvisual.com/pdf/smart_msrp.pdf

ArchiCentral. (2010, January 12). Niles North and West High School Science/Technology/ Engineering/ Mathematics (STEM) Labs by Legat Architects. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.archicentral.com/niles-north-and-west-high-school-sciencetechnologyengineeringmathematics-stem-labs-by-legat-architects-25881/

Bell, R. L., Blair, L. M., Crawford, B. A., & Lederman, N. G. (2003). Just Do It? Impact of a Science Apprenticeship Program on High School Students' Understandings of the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(5), 487-509.

Butin, D. (2000). Science Facilities. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities: http://www.ncef.org/pubs/science.html

LegatArchitects. (2010, February 5). Niles North and West High Schools. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://isbe.net/construction/pdf/Niles_North_West_HS_STEM_Labs.pdf

SmartClassrooms. (2010, November 19). A Fast and Effective Way to Assess Learning. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3R6gewJ9xg

Smith, H. J., Higgins, S., Wall, K., & Miller, J. (2005). Interactive Whiteboards: Boon or Bandwagon? A Critical Review of the Literature. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 91-101.

 Wall, K., Higgins, S., & Smith, H. (2005). 'The Visual Helps Me Understand The Complicated Things': Pupil Views of Teaching and Learning With Interactive Whiteboards. British Journal of Educational Technology, 851-867

Techstanding 1 for EPSY 457

Problem: “Each morning as you walk the hallways prior to first bell, you see your students' plugged in to their iPods, you hear them discussing the latest "castle craft conquest", you see cell phones put away in lockers, you overhear discussions using terms like LOL, O.M.G. your school's hallways are buzzing with energy. First bell rings. Students file into their seats. It’s quiet. Books are pulled out. You realize the students have already tuned out.”

The Instructional Challenge: “Your instructional challenge is convincing your administration that you can recreate the hallway energy and students will still be learning. Your solution must have a research foundation, must include models of practice, and must demonstrate how these models could be modified for use in your own learning environment.”

Resolution:

To convince my administration that I can recreate the hallway energy while maintaining an atmosphere of learning, I would discuss the power of mobile learning and vodcasting in education. Both of these technologies are widely available outside of classrooms and it is our job as educators to teach students how to use them. Illinois State Learning Standard 13.B.5e states that students will be able to “assess how scientific and technological progress has affected other fields of study, careers and job markets and aspects of everyday life.” There is no way for students to be able to assess how technological progress has affected other aspects of life without being able to use them in schools. We will need “to think beyond ‘what is’ to ‘what could be’ in order to prepare for the future.” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2012) Below, I will describe two technological models that will increase the energy within the classroom while still maintaining an atmosphere of learning that are not currently accepted in most schools.

 

Research Model 1- Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are existing resources in secondary schools. Students use cell phones before class for social reasons but can be used as an educational tool. According to the 2010 Horizon Report, “The range of technologies converging in mobile devices is very broad, as is the variety of ways they can be applied: GPS and compasses allow sophisticated location and positioning, accelerometers and motion sensors enable the device to be used in completely new ways, digital capture and editing bring rich tools for video, audio, and imaging — more and more, mobiles encompass it all.” (2010 Horizon Report K-12 Edition, 2010)

In theory, cell phones can be used in multiple ways in a classroom. At Hinsdale Central High School, students are allowed to use their cell phones during the school day. According to the Assistant Principal Bill Walsh, “We're encouraging opportunities for students to engage in technology to further the learning process. There are ways for the students to create educational opportunities using electronics during the school day." (Doyle, 2011) Researchers have found that mobile phones can enhance any topic of study if teachers invest time and attention in designing the activity, and that “for mobile-savvy Digital Natives, education will look quite different from what it did until the early years of the 21st century.” (Lalvani, 2012)

In practice for my learning environment (11^th grade Physics), students could use mobile phones in multiple ways. Students could use them to access the internet, perform research, watch videos not accessible on school computers, or use the SMS features to find synonyms and definitions. (Nielsen, 2008) I could also have the students use their cell phones to play review games or study electronic flashcards. Chemistry professors from Georgia Gwinnett College have been using mobile devices in their organic chemistry classes for their students to learn functional groups. They surveyed the students and found that more students found using flashcards in their mobile devices helped them learn more than traditional paper flashcards because they were more convenient, more fun, and offered the opportunity to study anywhere. (Pennington, Pursell, & Sloop, 2010) Below is an image of one of the functional groups flashcards that the students could use to study. (Pennington, Pursell, & Sloop, 2010). I could create similar electronic flashcards for information that my chemistry and physics students need to memorize if cell phones were allowed in my school district.

 

For me as a teacher, mobile phones could be useful as a student response polling system and to save costs because the students have their own stopwatch, level, accelerometer, digital camera, video camera, and compass (Nielsen, 2008).  Student response systems are traditionally very expensive but if students were allowed to use their mobile devices, I could poll the students throughout each class period as a formative assessment without any cost to the school district. 

One argument administrators may present against mobile devices in the classroom is that students will not be on task and that they will use them to cheat on tests. While this is a valid point, researchers from Vancouver Island University have found that more high school students stay on task when they have their cell phones out in class and very few of them actually use their devices to cheat. A graph of their findings is shown below. (Turner, 2011)

 

Research Model 2- Vodcasting/ “Flipped” Classroom

According to Wikipedia, a vodcast (or video podcast) is “a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures.” (Video Podcast, 2012) A vodcast is different from a podcast because podcasts are most commonly audio files while vodcasts contain the video component as well. Vodcasting would require both available resources and for the teacher to design resources. The available resource would be either the iPod or computer for the students. The teacher would need to create the vodcast using a computer, recording device, and audio equipment.

In theory, vodcasting allows teachers to “flip” their classroom. It is called “flipped” because what is traditionally done at school is now done at home and vice versa. Below is a graphic that describes “flipped” classrooms. (The Flipped Classroom (Infographic), 2011)

There are several benefits to vodcasting. First of all, students that are absent won’t miss the direct instruction that everyone else received. Next, it gives students the opportunity to absorb information without the distraction of their peers. Lastly, the lower levels of thinking are done at home in short bursts while the higher levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy such as analysis, application, and synthesis are done at school with the help of the teacher. Vodcasting also allows teachers to differentiate their instruction and provide a student-centered classroom. Below is a video of Aaron Sams describing how he uses vodcasting in his classroom and why it is beneficial to him.  (Learning4Mastery, 2010)

 

 

Researchers at the University of San Francisco studied how podcasting affected nursing students. They found that vodcasting significantly helped student learning without affecting student attendance. (Maag, 2006). Furthermore, students generally like “flipped” classrooms because it allows them to control the pace of their learning and be more active at school; “over the course of the semester, many come to appreciate the help that this structure gives them in terms of preparation for each lesson, and really enjoy getting up and being active participants, rather than passive observers, in the class.” (Pennington, Pursell, & Sloop, 2010) Specific benefits that students reported from a “flipped” classroom during the University of San Francisco study are shown in the graph below. (Maag, 2006)

In practice in my learning environment, “flipping” my classroom will provide my students with more time for fun activities during class as well as the opportunity to learn the concepts at their own pace since they can pause the vodcasts or watch them as many times as they need to. Students would also be able to watch the vodcasts on their iPods or cell phones so they could “do their homework” anywhere. They can be energetic, active learners at school, working on higher-level collaborative activities such as research activities or problem-solving while still learning the necessary background information that they need. Vodcasting is also beneficial for students with disabilities and different learning styles because there is audio and visual components (subtitles if necessary) and students that miss school often for medical reasons can still be active in the course.  

As a teacher, a “flipped” classroom gives me more time to cover the curriculum because students will learn all of the background information outside of class which frees up time for the higher-level thinking to be done at school while I am there to help. A “flipped” classroom also provides ample opportunities for differentiated instruction because I have the time to help individual students during class and put them in small groups for different level assignments. In a traditional classroom, all of the students would be hearing the same lecture one time- too slow for some students while too fast for others. 

Administrators probably would not have any arguments against “flipping” a classroom because there are so many benefits for the students. The only problem is equity- some students may not have a computer or iPod. However, those students could go to the school library during their lunch to watch the vodcasts. 

Resolution

Each morning students walk through the hallways buzzing with energy. First bell rings. Students come into my classroom and keep their mobile phones out as a scientific tool. They break up into their groups for that day’s activity and start their differentiated assignment. I walk around the room to see how each student understood the video from the night before and how they are doing on today’s work. I don’t need to wake anyone up- everyone is extremely busy. I assess the students at the end of class using their mobile devices. Students are happy. I am happy. Administrators are happy.

Works Cited

 

2010 Horizon Report K-12 Edition. (2010). Retrieved February 1, 2012, from http://learn.education.illinois.edu/file.php/1815/Resources_Week_1/2010-Horizon-Report-K12-2.pdf

The Flipped Classroom (Infographic). (2011, August 29). Retrieved February 1, 2012, from Knewton: http://www.knewton.com/blog/knewton/2011/08/29/flipped-classroom-infographic

Video Podcast. (2012, January 27). Retrieved February 1, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_podcast#Video_podcasts

Doyle, B. (2011, October 9). High School Opens Dorrs to Cellphone Use. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from Chicago Tribune: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-09/news/ct-met-hinsdale-cell-phones-1009-20111009_1_cellphones-school-day-students-use-phones

International Society for Technology in Education. (2012, January 3). Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill for Everyone. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFcUgSYyRPg&feature=player_embedded

Lalvani, S. (2012, January 23). Education 2.0: Mobile Technology in Education. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from Information Week: The Business Value of Technology: http://informationweek.in/Mobile/12-01-23/Education_2_0_Mobile_technology_in_education.aspx

Learning4Mastery. (2010, December 16). The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved February 1, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc

Maag, M. (2006, November 17). iPod, uPod? An Emergine Mobile Learning Tool in Nursing Eduation and Students' Satisfaction. Retrieved February 1, 2012, from University of San Francisco: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/pdf_papers/p92.pdf

Nielsen, L. (2008, May 12). The Value of Using Cell Phones to Enhance Education and Some Concrete Ways to Do So. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from The Innovative Educator: A Way Out of the Box: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/05/value-of-using-cell-phones-to-enhance.html

Pennington, R., Pursell, D., & Sloop, J. (2010, March 1). Engaging Science Students With Wireless Technology and Applications by Revisiting the Thayer Method of Teaching and Learning. Retrieved February 1, 2012, from Georgia Gwinnett College: http://www.iiis.org/CDs2010/CD2010IMC/CCCT_2010/PapersPdf/TA479MG.pdf

Turner, R. (2011, September 1). Student Use of Cell Phones in the Classroom. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from Vancouver Island University: http://journal.viuonline.ca/index.php/eddev/article/download/23/21

Follow Up to “Web 2.0 Resource for the Physics Classroom” – Was Pixton Worth It??

Back on October 12^th, I created an assignment on Pixton.com for my physics students to complete- demonstrate one of Newton’s 3 laws through an original comic. From there, students had to present their comic to the class and explain which law applied in that situation and how it is accurately portrayed.

I gave the students the rubric that I created, set up the classrooms on Pixton, and planned two days in class to create. I was very happy with the results; however, I’m not sure it was worth the time commitment. I wanted to only spend one day on creating the comics but it took quite a long time for the students to activate their accounts, find my assignment, and learn how to make something on the site. The students really enjoyed the assignment and seemed to appreciate the originality. I think it was a good way to have students demonstrate their knowledge while providing a creative outlet for the more artistic students. The only downside was the amount of time it took- two days to create and one day to present. I might do the assignment next year (assuming I can get another 30 day free trial) depending on the time that I have to get through the curriculum. We’re revising the curriculum guide for physics next year and if I have less time to spend on Dynamics then I would cut this assignment first. 

As a side note not related to the usefulness of Pixton in Physics- I was surprised at the violence that students used in their comics. Many students used explosions, guns, fire, and fights to show the laws. Nothing that I thought completely inappropriate for schools, just far more violence than I thought there would be. I have to wonder if that is because cartoons on TV are traditionally violent and students related the physics cartoon to TV cartoons.

Here are some of the comics my students produced. They’re just a sample- not the best ones or the worst ones. Notice the violent themes in most of these. The last one on the page makes me sad- the students explained in class how one of Newton’s Laws applied but the violence overpowers the physics content. 

Interactive Whiteboards in Physics

I’m always intrigued by new technologies but frankly, I didn’t see the purpose of an interactive whiteboard (IW). Yes, they’re cool and probably fun to use but do they truly enhance the learning environment? I had to do a presentation on gesture-based learning for one of my grad school classes and I chose to research IWs to see if they are worth the money. (My presentation had nothing to do with cost analysis- this was just for me to see if I think they’re worth writing a grant for.)

An IW is a “large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer’s desktop onto the board’s surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device.” (Interactive Whiteboard) There are quite a few beneficial features to an IW that are not available with traditional whiteboards. (Bell)

 

Examples include:

• Accommodates different learning styles (tactile/ kinesthetic, visual, audio)
• Actively engages learners
• Assessable for students with limited motor skills
• Provides homebound students with remote access to the classroom lessons (because you can digitally save the notes from class)
• Can be interfaced with other equipment such as cameras and laboratory equipment and software

Interactive whiteboards seem like a great tool in any classroom- how about in my physics class? What can I do with an IW to help my students?  

Interactive whiteboards would help my students to learn physics by:

• Providing color-coding to separate different components of problems
• Providing visual representations of theoretical concepts
• Allowing students to work hands-on with a simulation or problem
• Giving access to the notes from class online for repetition of problems 

Interactive whiteboards have tremendous possibilities in a physics classroom because of software and simulations that demonstrate the laws of physics. At the high school level, there are many wonderful laboratory experiences that students are not able to participate in because of safety or cost. IWs provide opportunities for students to perform simulations or remote laboratory activities for these types of labs as a group allowing for the same social environment found in a laboratory setting.

Furthermore, there are laboratories that have sophisticated computer interfaces that can be used with an IW for whole class participation. PASCO Data Studio equipment already in use in my classroom would connect with an IW for more effective demonstrations with improved student contribution and participation with their devices. Below is a video that demonstrates how simple it is to connect the PASCO equipment with an IW. (PascoScientific)

Finally, an IW with the right software could be amazingly helpful for students to visualize information and predict outcomes. The video below is of an MIT professor demonstrating the "Assist Sketch Understanding System and Operation" program that they have developed. The video is approximately five minutes long. Within the first two minutes, he demonstrates amazing capacity of the interactive whiteboard-computer system in showing the laws of gravity. Although this program is not available yet to the public, those with IWs will be able to have their students design systems and test them out when the program becomes available. The ability to design and test an idea such as those shown in the video does not exist on a traditional whiteboard- only IWs provide this type of capability. This would be pretty cool to do in my class!

 

Bell, M. A. (n.d.). Why Use an Interactive Whiteboard? A Baker's Dozen Reasons! Retrieved November 2, 2011, from Teachers.net: http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02/mabell.html

Interactive Whiteboard. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_whiteboard

Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2011, from http://rmtc.fsdb.k12.fl.us/tutorials/whiteboards.html

jm42892. (n.d.). Cool Computer Program. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7eGypGOlOc

Panasonic Electronic Whiteboards- Interactive Whiteboard Smart Board. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2011, from WordPress: http://enteractivewhiteboard.wordpress.com/

PascoScientific. (n.d.). SPARKscience on the Big Screen. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/pascoscientific#p/u/7/YWIY02TAp5s

SmartTechnologies. (n.d.). Interactive Whiteboards and Learning: Improving Student Learning Outcomes and Streamlining Lesson Planning. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from SmartTech: http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/research/whitepapers/int_whiteboard_research_whitepaper_update.pdf

My Personal Learning Network

As an assignment for my grad school class, I was to design my own Professional Learning Network (PLN) or Professional Learning Environment (PLE). We looked at a website with multiple PLNs and PLEs and then we created our own and classified them. 

The purpose of creating a PLN or PLE is to become a better teacher though learning from others and collaborating that you wouldn’t normally have access to. “PLNs provide individuals with learning and access to leaders and experts around the world bringing together communities, resources and information impossible to access solely from within school walls.” (Nielsen)

It is actually quite simple to form a PLN or PLE. To start mine, I set up a Google Reader account so that I could subscribe to blogs. I also set up a Delicious account to share bookmarks. I have a Twitter account and I use Paper.li and Tweeted Times to organize. I also started curating information using Curated.by. Below is a video that describes the purpose of a PLN or PLE and how they are set up. (OurSocialVoice)

To start making mine, I went to the website that my professor had us view. I already had the tools in place but didn’t have a good visual representation. I looked at them and decided to work from there. Of the PLEs and PLNs on the website, I most related to Gabi Witthaus because of her organizational scheme and the fact that I use many of the same tools that she does. I like how she separated by categories but didn’t make the design too difficult to follow or minimalist in nature. 

I had a difficult time deciding whether to name my “Web” as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) or a Personal Learning Environment (PLE). I reviewed the suggested page and analyzed the PLEs/PLNs that others had shared, however I was still lacking a solid definition. I found a great blog by Dave Cormier that distinguished the two for me:

“The distinction, as i understand it, is that the folks who talk about PLN are focusing on the people that make up the learning that they are doing and believe that the PLE people are mostly concerned about the technology that makes up the learning space. (blogs, wikis, webpages, forums, broadcasts etc…)” 

While I do believe that the modes of communication are important, the true value of the interactions and merit of information is a direct result of the authors rather than the web tool that made it available. Because I believe people make my learning web, I decided to call mine a PLN. I believe that my PLN would fit in the “Use/Action Oriented “category because mine focuses on specific tasks and the resources that I use to accomplish those tasks. The other categories didn’t seem to split the tools by task as frequently.

When I designed mine, I went with a spider web background to show the interconnectedness of all of the categories. I also specifically used two-headed arrows to show that I contribute information as well as consume information.  I think that the greatest meaning in my PLN arises from the professional organizations that I am in as well as grad school/coworkers. I become a better teacher through learning from others and those two categories have really made an impact on my teaching. I am happy with my PLN because of this master’s program! Before this, my PLN was a barren wasteland. Now I actually have a network and it continues to thrive by the day. I would like to see it continue to grow, especially with more Web 2.0 tools.

My PLE on Prezi

Cormier, D. (n.d.). 5 Points About PLEs PLNs for PLENK10. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Dave's Educational Blog: http://davecormier.com/edblog/2010/09/12/5-points-about-ples-plns-for-plenk10/

Nielsen, L. (n.d.). 5 Things You Can Do to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from BlogSpot: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-begin-developing.html

OurSocialVoice. (n.d.). Sketchy Explanation: Starting a PLN. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqSH5TMYlz4

Curating my Interests

I had a difficult time choosing which curation site to use for this assignment. I viewed the video for Pearltrees and thought it was very similar to Delicious- where you can bookmark sites, share your bookmarks with others, and find people with similar interests to your own. Since I already have a Delicious account, Pearltrees seemed redundant. I checked out a few of the featured sites on Storify but I wasn’t a fan of the linear nature of the pages- I prefer the organization of a newspaper. I enjoy scanning through information, whereas with Storify I had to scroll down to view something new. Next I checked out Curated.by and I liked that it allows users to organize multimedia, bookmarks, and tweets- not just one form of content. With Curated.by, you can organize all of those different forms of information into “bundles” and share them with others. In the end, I decided to go with Scoop.it because I liked the feature where it suggests pages to you that you might be interested in. Usually iTunes Genius is correct and I do enjoy the music they suggest so I thought I would try Scoop.it for that very reason. 

Although I had decided on Scoop.it, that didn’t mean that I actually got to use that website to curate. I applied for an “invitation” on Sunday evening. When it didn’t arrive within an hour, I realized that something must be wrong. I spoke with my classmates and professor and they were going to send me invitations as well. I’m not sure of the process of sending an invitation; however, they never arrived…. I checked both of my email accounts and nothing.  It is now Wednesday evening and apparently I’m not cool enough for a Scoop.it account. :( Because of time constraints (parent-teacher conferences tomorrow night until 9:00 pm and the first football playoff game Friday night) I decided to use Curated.by instead. I was originally impressed with their ability to “bundle” multiple types of information so I chose it over Pearltrees and Storify. I will sign up for Scoop.it whenever they invite me just so I can check it out. 

Curated.by was super easy to join- no invitation mess! It took me approximately one hour to start following other curators and to set up my own bundle. It’s quite easy to bundle information; you just drag and drop websites or copy/paste the URL into a box. I like that I can chose which websites and information to include in my bundle. With paper.li and Tweeted Times, I didn’t have control over everything- all new twitter posts of individuals or companies that I followed were included. However, on Curated.by I can chose what I want in my bundle. All of the curation sites that I checked provided more freedoms and personal control than Paper.li or Tweeted Times. I will still use my Paper.li paper because it organizes my Twitter feeds, but I prefer Curated.by for true curation. 

What I like about curation is that I am able to organize the information that I find and share it with my friends/family, classmates, coworkers, and my students. It makes me the center of my personal learning network and allows me to be a part of other people’s personal learning networks. I’m not sure if there are any aspects of curation that I do not like because I can be creative and share what I find is important with others… there’s really no downside to that. 

I could definitely use Curated.by in my classroom because I am the one to pick out what information is or is not included- I don’t have to worry about inappropriate material. I could teach my students how to use Curated.by but I think the greatest benefit would be to use this for the “Science in the News” project so that my students have a place to go for valid references and current articles. 

Curated.by allows you to embed your curation into blogs or other websites. Below is my "bundle" and here is the link to my Curated.by page.

Web 2.0 Resource for the Physics Classroom

Although it seems odd, I chose to try Pixton.com to create a comic strip. I’ve never made a comic strip before, because I’m not artistic or funny, but I think it would be fun and useful in a Physics classroom. I was new to Pixton and the comic idea in general and thought it would be a fun thing to try. Comics allow us to think outside the realm of real life- creating our own reality with new universal laws of motion. Think back to “The Matrix” and how exciting it is to see what is possible without gravity and other laws we’ve come to know and love. A comic strip would allow students to create something outside of reality. 

I chose to make a comic strip project that my students will actually do this year when we start Newton’s Laws in a few weeks. (My free trial will end in 3.5 weeks from now so I’ll have time.) I am having my students create a comic strip that accurately portrays one of Newton’s Laws. I created my own comic (shown below) as an example. 

My students will each create their own comic and then present it to the class to show off their work as well as to explain their reasoning.  It was extremely easy to sign up on Pixton and to set it up for my classroom. Creating the project took about 5 minutes total and even provides a “rubric generator” so you can quickly and easily create a grading rubric for your project. Here is the link to my project. To view the project, you will have to log in with the username CTER1 and password of CTER11. You can also see the rubric that I made to fit my project so my students know how I will be grading them. Actually making the comic strip (and my avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower) took some time because there are so many options and the directions are not as simple as the video portrays. I imagine that it took me close to an hour to make my comic. Now that I’ve made one, it will take less time. 

I think that my students will benefit from this because they are able to demonstrate their understanding of Newton’s Laws without having to make a PowerPoint or take an exam. This is a nice alternative assessment and I imagine that my creative and artistic thinkers will greatly appreciate the opportunity. I also think that the students will benefit by being able to “free their minds” like Neo in the movie clip by creating something that isn’t possible on Earth. The only resources necessary are computers and the internet (if you’re using the free trial.) I will assess the comics using the rubrics provided to the students. 

frostysnowbro. (n.d.). Matrix: The Jump Program. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXv3SSijPFc